BENTONVILLE -- Billy Cooks scored on a 10-yard run in overtime to lead Midwest City, Okla. to a 28-25 win against Bentonville High on Saturday in the Rumble in the Ozarks at Tiger Stadium.
Cooks' touchdown run came on second down and capped a come-from-behind win for the Bombers in the season-opener for both teams on Zero Week.
Midwest City, Okla. 28, Bentonville 25 (OT)
Midwest City 0 7 7 8 6 — 28
Bentonville 3 10 9 0 3 — 25
First Quarter
Bent — FG Younger 39, 2:18.
Second Quarter
Bent — Beeler 6 pass from Hughes (Younger kick), 11:21.
Mid — Colbert 6 run (Janish kick), :59.
Bent — FG Younger 30, :00.
Third Quarter
Bent — FG Younger 34, 6:57.
Mid — Whiteside 45 fumble return (Janish kick), 5:22.
Bent — Lee 21 pass from Hughes (Kick failed), 3:12.
Fourth Quarter
Mid — Miles 20 pass from Colbert (Run failed), 11:50.
Mid — Safety, 10:50.
Overtime
Bent — FG Younger 19.
Mid — Cooks 10 run.
Midwest City trailed for most of the game but took advantage of numerous Bentonville mistakes to claim the road win. The Bombers returned a fumble for a touchdown, recorded a late safety and took advantage of another Bentonville mistake in the kicking game.
Bentonville (0-1) led 16-7 after Sam Younger knocked home his third field goal of the game, a 34 yarder with 6 minutes, 57 seconds left in the third quarter, capping the Tigers' opening drive of the second half. The game turned quickly after on Bentonville's next possession when a lateral pass hit the ground and Oshei Whiteside scooped it up and raced 45 yards for a touchdown, pulling the Bombers within 16-14.
The Tigers shook off the mistake and built the lead back to 22-14 when Easton Hughes found Harrison Campbell on a 21-yard touchdown strike. Bentonville was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the touchdown, and the 15-yard penalty proved costly as Younger was forced to try a 35-yard extra-point kick, which sailed wide left. The penalty was one of 15 major infractions against the Tigers in the game, and that missed extra point proved to be huge.
Midwest City (1-0) got its offense going late in the third quarter and drove 80 yards after the Bentonville touchdown. Bombers quarterback Preston Colbert, who was 10 of 24 passing for 86 yards, made his one big pass play of the night highlight reel worthy.
Facing fourth and five from the Bentonville 20, Colbert eluded a strong pass rush and, falling backward, lofted a pass into the end zone that Andre Miles came down with the pass in tight coverage for the touchdown, pulling the Bombers within 22-20. Midwest City tried for two points on the conversion, but Colbert was stopped short.
It didn't matter. Another special teams mistake on Bentonville's next possession when the snap on a punt went past the Tigers' punter and into the end zone for a safety and the game was tied at 22-22.
Twice Midwest City had chances to take the lead late on field goals, but Elliott Janish missed wide left from 37 yards on the first attempt, then drilled the left upright from 23 yards to keep the game tied.
Bentonville had a chance to claim the win as well when Midwest City fumbled a punt snap and the Tigers took over at the Bombers' 39 with 53 seconds left in regulation. The Tigers could not take advantage, gaining only three yards.
The Tigers got the ball first on overtime from the 10-yard line and moved to the 3 before Younger came on to kick his fourth field goal of the night and a 25-22 lead.
Colbert was incomplete on first down on Midwest City's possession, but Cooks gave the Bombers the win, taking a hand-off and racing around the left side, stepping just inside the front pylon for the game-winner.
Hughes was 24-of-39 for 259 yards for the Tigers, who travel to Conway next week.
Bentonville drove 95 yards on its opening possession to take the early lead. Hughes was 7-of-8 on the drive for 50 yards and Preston Crawford ran six times for 29 yards. Younger capped the drive with a 39-yard field goal with 2:15 left in the first quarter.
Bentonville's Levi Bennett intercepted Colbert on third down near midfield and the Tigers extended the lead to 10-0 by driving 53 yards in seven plays. Hughes hit Landon Beeler for 21 yards, then hit Beeler again on a throw-back pass for a six-yard touchdown with 11:21 left in the second quarter.
The Tigers also had a big special teams mistake on a poor snap in field goal position that resulted in a 29-yard loss. Midwest City took advantage as Colbert capped a short drive with a six-yard scoring run to pull Bombers within 10-7.
Sports on 08/26/2018